Tomato in the Mirror
by The StrayXIII
Summary: At the age of 22 Kai finally meets his triplet brother and sister again, but at the worst time possible. People are after them, for what reason only a 10-year-old mystery can tell, but all Kai wants is to sit down and get to know the family he once lost.
1. Almost Perfect

**Disclaimer: All characters in this ALTERNATE UNIVERSE (-read) belong to Takao Aoki. Unless their names are Katsutoshi and Naien, in which they aren't his they are mine (and if he had minor characters in his manga with those names then I must reiterate and say, the characters of the anime Beyblade belong to Takao Aoki).**

**I've finally decided to put this up, and I made good timing too. A good story with the best writing I've ever done so far. It helps now that I'm Frosh. Ah, university. Fun, fun, fun.**

**If you know what's good for you, read my profile. It'll tell you all about this story and other stuff concerning my fan f****iction.**

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It was almost perfect. TV was set and running, the computer hard drive's fan was spinning, and the surround sound speakers were on and humming. Kai adjusted one speaker's spot in the living area and connected the cables into the back of the TV. Glad he had ensured the volume wasn't at a ridiculous level, Kai listened as the sounds of the movie he rented was bouncing off the walls of his apartment. Living in the mansion styled homes (two levels, with less than ten apartments on each level), a twenty-two year-old Kai finally breathed that sigh of relief. He was at peace. In three days the 'almost perfect' would be 'perfect'. He had almost everything unpacked, and to accommodate for the cold autumn weather, he purchased and set up a kotatsu and he was eager to sleep under the heated table and its warm blankets that night. In fact, after finishing his movie, he was just about to drift off to sleep.

But almost was an 'almost', as always, and Kai's 'almost perfect' was shattered in a brief second the moment the news came on.

He dropped the DVD, staring at the TV, his jaw hanging.

There in the news broadcast was a recording on a bystander's camera. Three young men were being chased by men in black, who shot at them with their guns. The ones being chased cleared a path through the shoppers, the people having no choice but to make way. One had long black hair in a tight ponytail. Kai knew him: that was Ray, a guy from China and a genius in the kitchen. Next to him was a blond haired guy in an orange and green hoodie. Max, a half-American, half-Japanese kid rocking the urban fashion style; Kai knew him too. But it was the third, dressed in rugged clothes with stylishly messy hair, that caught Kai's attention. The close-up on the faces of Ray, Max, and their companion was a dreaded confirmation on Kai's part. Those eyes... that face. His eyes darted to the video's timestamp. 4:05 PM.

"Huh," he mumbled. 4:05. It wasn't hard to backtrack. The events in the video clip only happened five hours ago, when Kai began to unpack the TV after spending two hours since two-ish moving everything in with Hiro's help. If that were so, what was he doing on TV, running around the Shibuya 109 shopping district, at that time? There was only one way to accept this odd, law defying fact. He picked up his cell and entered the speed-dial for Tyson's home phone.

"Yeah, Kinomiya," he said as soon as Tyson picked up, "one question." He was calm, the complete opposite of what he was feeling at that moment. "Is there a guy at your place who looks jus tlike me?" Tyson gave him a confused yes to which Kai would then tell him, "I see. Well, I have a message for your new friend. Tell Katsutoshi I'm on his way and that he better be careful. Thre are a bunch of garbage bins on your street that I can hurl into his pretty boy face." There was a pause, and then a nervous laugh from Tyson. He eventually eased up and admitted that Kai was a very good jokester, a real funny guy. Except, Kai wasn't joking at all. Kai sighed, however, accepting that Tyson would be very confused about the matter.

"Right," he started, resigning himself to the blissful not-truth that Tyson admitted himself to. He was probably thinking that the Kai sitting at his dinner table was calling him on the cell phone, and the home phone was in another room (which it was, Kai remembered). It wasn't far from Kai's mind of that possibility, and maybe that's what Tyson thought. Still, it was a problem for Kai, a problem he needed to fix. "Tell him it's me," he said after he heard Tyson yelling to the not-Kai to stop pranking him from the other room. "Tell him that I've called, that it's me, Kai. Tell him who I am and that I'm coming for him."

His dad always said to watch that passionate temper of his, but hey. Kai figured that if his 'almost perfect' night was going to shatter into a million unsolvable pieces, he may as well let it go out with a bang.


	2. Brother

**Disclaimer: Everyone except Katsutoshi belongs to Takao Aoki.**

**If you're confused, don't worry. The story is doing what it's supposed to do.**

**Remember: this is an AU fic.**

**Thanks to all who reviewed!**

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Kai checked his watch: 10:48 PM. The train would run on until 1:00 AM, but it wasn't like his visit would take that long. Then again, just in case, he was glad that he didn't take all of his clothes with him

_ Oh yeah,_ he remembered, _I left my favourite shirt there._

He could just about see the house and the dojo, the distinct and recognizable gate standing out from the rest of the neighbourhood homes. Kai could have driven, which would have saved him at least half an hour from the trip, but Tyson's home had no parking so it was pointless to bother. As majestic a traditional Japanese home was, it was bound to have its downsides, Kai figured.

"_Hah!_" came a shout. Kai jumped, alarmed. He sighed, remembering that at this time Grandpa Kinomiya would do his evening drills. Still standing outside the gate, Kai was still present at his old home without any of its residents knowing he was there. Well, it helped that a body double was sitting at Tyson's dinner table using Kai's name. Oh boy, the trouble that guy would attract. Every damn time… He was going to teach that fucker a lesson!

After making sure that Grandpa Kinomiya was in the dojo and not training outside it, Kai hopped the gate in a single bound. He stood at the top, carefully making sure that his center of gravity was steady. He didn't want to fall! Since he'd been at this house for a long time, recalling the layout of the house was easy for him. The living/dining area was to his left. He remembered the window would have a clear view of him standing there, so he dropped down, quick to dart for the cover under the window sill (all they had to do now was look down to see him) in case he made too much noise. He could hear laughter from where he was. Daichi, a Kinomiya relative from the countryside, was clearly there, as he was living with them even when Kai still did, and Ray and Max were there too. He could hear Hilary, Tyson's girlfriend (as of four months ago and about damn time too, thought Kai) and Mr. Smart Guy Kenny having a light argument about something, but it seemed as though Tyson was hosting a nice dinner with friends, thinking that Kai was there too. No one seemed to have heard him yet, but he doubted they were all aware enough to notice. Plus, there wouldn't have been any reason to suspect that someone was lurking outside. To them, he wasn't even there.

"So, um, Kai, are you going to tell us why people were after you?" asked Tyson. His voice seemed to silence everyone in the room (from the sounds of it, Ray, Max, Daichi, Kenny, and Hilary were all present). There was a long silence; Kai held his breath.

"I'd rather not," said the one they all assumed was Kai. He was quite rude, "It really isn't any of your business."

_That's 50 000¥ to me and one foot in your face, jackass!_ Kai viciously thought.

"Are you sure you don't need a doctor? It's bad to keep the bullet in the wound," came the sound of Hilary's concerned voice. Bullet wound? Kai wasn't expecting that, and it got him worrying. Yet still, it wasn't enough to distract Kai from his purpose. _Oh Hilary, bless you_, Kai sang in his head. She gave Kai the best timing for his entrance. It would be stupid of him to pass this up!

"Men of the Hiwatari household are known for their stamina and strength," said the other Kai arrogantly. "I'll live." Kai grinned.

"Damn straight, Katsutoshi!" he cried, completely agreeing with him. It was true, and it wasn't just the men either. The Ice Queen wouldn't have liked her exclusion, but Kai would save that for later. With ease he swung into the room, with only a hand on the window sill for leverage. He gave a push and sent his feet flying, right into the face of his look-alike, his doppelganger, body double, and the greatest pain in his ass (yes, even greater than Tyson), Kai Hiwatari literally sent his brother Katsutoshi through the wall. The crash was deafening, probably loud enough to wake the whole neighbourhood, and it gave a clear shock to everyone in the room.

"Hey, Tyson," Kai greeted casually, acting as if nothing happened. He took off his shoes at it was rude to be in a house with them on. "Thanks for not telling the idiot I was coming—that was _way_ better than I expected." He laughed.

"It took a moment, but after the initial shock, Tyson composed himself.

"What... the _fuck_ was that?" he cried. Kai raised an eyebrow. _Oh, right_, he realized_, they don't know I have a brother_.

"Hilary, go check on him!" cried Ray. "He might still be bleeding!"

"Nah, I'll do it," said Kai. He'd kicked Katsutoshi so hard he was already outside, just inches away from the koi pond. "Besides, it's a risk tending to him after what I did."

"What do you mean?" Max asked hesitantly. Kai could see it, they were all delaying the questions that would solve their confusion, but they wanted to focus on the now before anything else—no matter how confusing it was going to get. And indeed was it going to get even more confusing for them. This? Kai was used to this; he grew up to this. In fact, in all the years since, he really missed this. All of their heads turned to hear a growl increasing in volume, the raspy breath accompanying it quickening its pace. Kai sighed. Here it comes.

"_KAIIIIII!_"

Ducking just in time, Kai saw one of the rocks surrounding the koi pond fly over his head and crash through the wall behind him.

"You're gonna have to pay for that," yelled Kai nonchalantly. The others looked at him as if he were crazy. Well, yes, maybe he was, but to him this was normal...

But it had been years since the last time he fought with Katsutoshi, let alone saw him...

"Bed time, Katsu," Kai called out. He walked up to his brother before Katsutoshi could pick up another rock to throw. He was bleeding, but he probably didn't even realize it. Kai sighed, feeling very sad. He did it again. He always got _too_ passionate, to the point that he would end up hurting Katsutoshi. So, at times like this, to prevent an even bigger mess, Kai would utilize a tai chi method taught to him by his mother. It was the _Hu Die Chuan Hua_ ("Butterfly Bores through the Flower") technique, though when he was younger he came to call it the Sleeper for the sake of ease in remembering it. Katsutoshi would always try to fight back, so the first step of the technique disabled movement. As soon as Kai pulled back Katsutoshi's outstretched arm as high as it could behind his back, Kai placed pressure on the carotid artery while pushing Katsu's head back with his hand. It was easy, and in an instant Katsutoshi was unconscious. Kai didn't waste time to check and see how bad the wound was; Katsutoshi needed hospital attention as soon as possible. He picked up his brother in a cradle and went back in the house.

"I think now would be a good time to call the ambulance," he said to Tyson. He watched Tyson run out of the room, past his grandfather who came to investigate the racket.

"Two of you?" he cried, startled.

"This is my brother, Katsutoshi," he told everyone in the room. "But we aren't twins. We're just an identical pair out of a set of three."

"Triplets?" murmured Hilary, her hands over her face. Kai nodded, finding his expression grim. He felt his lips forming a frown and kept himself from doing so, afraid he might worry his friends more than he should.

"Yes. Triplets. Two boys and one girl... I'm sorry it had to be now, of all times, and I know I should have mentioned it sooner, though I had my reasons. Still, I think it's time you guys learned about my family." It was the least Kai could do, though he had a dreaded feeling that he was going to regret it...


	3. Unfair

**Disclamer: Characters and places belong to Takao Aoki, English licensed names courtesy of the Nelvana dub of Beyblade (I'm surprised people rarely ever mention this)**

**Simultaneous update with chapter 4. This is under 500 words, so I'm throwing you guys a bone here... sleeeeep.

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Against his wishes, Kai's coughing fit woke up the resting Katsutoshi. Knowing his brother so well, Kai was glad that the doctor had accepted his demand to strap down Katsutoshi's arm and legs, and as expected the moment he woke up he began thrashing.

"Calm—_ack!_" Kai submitted to another series of coughs which caught Katsutoshi's immediate attention (it always did). "... c-calm—_hack_—calm down." His throat was sore, and he could taste the blood in his mouth. He caught Katsutoshi's wide eyes staring up at him.

"Are you okay?" he said, voice equally raspy. They took him off of the GA ealier, so Kai was a little more than glad that it didn't take long for Katsutoshi to wake up.

"Thanks for the concern, but I'm fine." Kai smiled, but he had a feeling Katsutoshi could sense him hiding something. Katsutoshi was staring at him with that gaze, no doubt about that. That was the gaze that could tell when Kai wasn't telling the truth.

"How long... has it been?" asked Katsutoshi, looking away. Kai hesitated to respond. Thinking about it, it was really a long time.

"I haven't seen you since you were pre-pubescent," said Kai, forcing himself to laugh. It fell hollow and fake. He couldn't be happy. Katsutoshi managed a real laugh, albeit a weak one. They smiled, but the smiles quickly faded.

"Have you talked to Dad?"

"No. Is Mom doing okay?"

"She says hi."

"I see..." They didn't speak for a while, the beep of Katsutoshi's heart monitor at a steady pace. The machines hummed to their silence until one of them made a choking sound. It could have been both of them for all Kai knew. His eyes were blurred and his throat was caught. Looking down on Katsutoshi, his face was scrunched up too.

"... Katsu... it really isn't fair, is it?"

"... No. It isn't." They couldn't hold back anymore. Katsutoshi was the first to break, a big shock to Kai. Kai wouldn't have been able to believe it if it was someone else standing here, watching Katsutoshi, and this episode would have been explained to him later. Before, it would have been a source of entertainment. Manly Katsutoshi, crying? It was nothing to laugh about now, in this time, in the present they barely managed to arrive at. Kai laid his head on Katsu's chest. Kai had cried many times before, often times crying himself to sleep. They were hard times. Right now was a hard time. It all really wasn't fair.

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**When you pray for Japan, pray for the people, not the country.**


	4. Nightmares

**Disclaimer: Beyblade belongs to Takao Aoki. English dub names are courtesy of Nelvana.**

**Length: this is what happens when I type the whole story instead of writing it out first... well I wrote at least a chunk of this down first.**

**Released simultaneous with chapter 3. If you skipped that, go read it. Even if it's really really short.**

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_Kai wondered where his grandfather was. He said that if Kai wasn't feeling well in any way he would be right there, ready to help him. But he walked into the family hospital and went to the nice lady at the front desk. Your grandfather is busy, she told him. You'll have to wait for a while. Busy? Too busy for Kai? His own grandson?_

_ "Aren't you even going to call him and tell him I'm here so he won't do something else?" asked Kai. No, said the woman. He's too busy today. Why don't you wait until he goes home? Kai decided this woman wasn't very nice at all._

_ He sat next to an old woman who had her right hand bandaged heavily. He didn't want to know what kind of accident she got into; any sort of injury Kai found disturbing. What would call people to hurt themselves? He had a firm belief that it was not possible for trouble to find a person. The person would seek out the trouble instead. Getting hurt needlessly, he didn't like that._

_Well, he did fight with his brother a lot, and they did cause a lot of ruckus._

_ But still! He didn't like to see blood, or mangled flesh, or broken bones, or burns or... ugh, he was beginning to feel sick. He needed some fresh air. Kai got out of his seat and quickly walked towards the door. Maybe when he came back in he could just sneak past the mean lady and look for his grandfather himself. He pushed open the door..._

_ A dark hall, white lights, and there were screams coming from every room around the corner. Kai felt weird about this place. The atmosphere sent a tingling feeling up his spine. He shouldn't be here, but he had to keep walking forward. What was this place? This was in the hospital? What..._

_ One door was left ajar. Curiosity winning over his urges, Kai pushed the door open and walked through. A giant glass tube was in the middle of the room with water bubbling to the top. Wires attached to the lid of the tube were attached to something in the tube... a... A person? He looked like he was Kai's age! What was he doing in there? What were they doing to him?_

_ "Hey!" cried a voice filled with shock. Kai spun around and saw a man in a white robe standing before him. "You shouldn't be in here!"_

_ "I... I'm sorry, I was only looking for Grandpa..." Kai cowered before the man, backing away from him. He felt the cold surface of the tube behind him. It sent a great shiver through him. He wanted out. Kai didn't want to see any of this at all._

_ "Great God, Master Kai?" the man said. He wiped his forehead and breathed heavily, and with a sudden burst of energy he went to the door and called for someone, "Someone get me Dr. Hiwatari!" He turned back to Kai with worried eyes. "I'm sorry you had to see this, young Master. You weren't supposed to see this..."_

_ "What is this place?" Kai asked. At that moment the lights began to flash red and the water in the tube became scorching hot. He heard a gurgling sound coming from the tube and turned to see the young boy inside thrashing. The young boy in the tube ripped off the mask giving him oxygen and the wires connected to his body disconnected. He sank to the bottom of the glass. In an instant Kai watched as the boy's skin began to... melt. Melt? Why was he _melting_? He could see the boy's eye balls, and his mouth seemed to droop off of his jaw. Kai fell to the floor, his hands failing to cover his eyes. The boy's icy blue eyes stared into him. There was a scream. The glass began to crack..._

"Kai?"

His eyes fluttered open. He was at Katsutoshi's bedside, his brother sleeping peacefully. Kai saw the tear stains on his face and wiped them off. Only on this closer look he realized the tattoo on the right side of Katsutoshi's face. Huh, he didn't know Katsu got a tattoo. He looked up and saw Hilary standing there with Tyson, a worried smile on their faces.

"You sounded like you were having a nightmare again," said Tyson. "You hadn't had those since the end of your first year of high school." Kai took in what he said for a moment and realized the truth in that. No nightmares for about six years... why now? And why _that_? That wasn't a nightmare. It was just a bad memory. Of course, he never told Tyson that.

"Kai?" whispered Katsutoshi. Kai jumped. He didn't realize Katsutoshi was awake.

"I'll be leaving now, Katsu," said Kai. "Visiting hours are over." He didn't need to ask Tyson or Hilary, he just knew. Katsutoshi had an emergency operation which took hours, and hours still for him to wake up. When he did wake up it was midday the next day, and now...

"Okay, Kai, but can't you just stay over?" asked Katsutoshi, almost childlike. Kai doubted he knew Hilary and Tyson were in the room; otherwise he'd try to act tough. Yet there was something vulnerable about his brother at the moment.

"I can't. I'm going now. I'll be back tomorrow," Kai said, walking around the bed to leave with Hilary and Tyson.

"But, Kai!"

"_Bye_, Katsu!"

"Dammit, just don't come crying to me when those nightmares come back to you in your sleep!" viciously called back Katsutoshi. Kai was out in the hallway by then, and a nurse had run in to warn Katsutoshi not to push it. Kai smiled to himself. Stubborn Katsutoshi, always quick to lash back when given the chance.

"You really look like you could use some sleep, Kai," noted Hilary. "We haven't seen you this tired since the good old days in high school."

"R-right," Kai mumbled. Nightmares, nightmares. Disastrous. Those memories. He was supposed to have coped with them. Why was he...?

"Say, Kai," started Tyson, breaking him out of his madness mantra. "Are you going to tell us about Katsutoshi and your family? Or are you going to wait until Katsutoshi's been discharged?"

"I might as well tell you right away. We'll get to your place and get comfortable. And I want some food too, I'm starving." Kai walked ahead of them, taking note of his tone and directness. He heard Tyson and Hilary laugh.

"He's such a freaking freeloader."

"Give it a rest!"

Kai smiled. Perhaps he was, but his explanations were never free. Well, when he felt like it. He was either generous or a real secretive dick, and both times his personality wasn't exactly favourable. Justifiably, his jerkass attitude was because of the bet he and Katsutoshi made. The guy still owed him money, but he was willing to forget about it. Kai had to admit: he kinda liked the abrasive nature of his brother. Maybe now he'd have a more opportune moment to talk to people without them having to talk to him first.

But that left less time to think for himself. Darn, the complications. Well, he could just talk to people when he _had _to... wait. That's right back to where he started. Then again, he didn't have to be so mean from then on. But then _that_ would defeat his original purpose! So maybe he should...

"Kai!"

"_What?_" Kai snapped. He realized he was in Tyson's living and dining room, surrounded by Ray, Max, Daichi, and Hilary, each of them staring at him. Kenny was still busy with his paper, apparently.

"Beef or salt?" asked Tyson, holding up instant ramen cups. Kai raised an eyebrow.

"I was expecting a home cooked meal," he said. Tyson laughed.

"Do you _want_ to die?" He went back into the kitchen, laughing his head off some more. Kai turned to Hilary, shaking his head.

"He'll kill you if he cooks for you," he said. "You should dump him and marry Ray instead." That comment resulted in some pots and pans crashing to the kitchen floor.

"_Kai!_" yelled Tyson.

"Just joking, dude, relax!"

It was impossible. In a way, the quirks that Katsutoshi had when they were kids grew onto Kai. Besides, the guy may have done some growing up on his own too.

"So, about your brother," started Ray. He had a recorder set up. Good information gathering habit, the guy should take up journalism, noted Kai. He deduced that it was for Kenny, so none of the information would be transferred incorrectly, just in case. With Ray, though, it was highly unlikely. To say his mind was like the Internet would be incorrect. The Internet had glitches and wrong information most of the time. Ray's mind was more like an encyclopaedia with endless pages. He could remember just about _anything_ and if something changed about the information he gathered, he'd change it in an instant. No repetition or recitation, he'd just _know_ the new stuff instantly. Kai was grateful for that talent, and it was something really hard to ignore. If Ray wasn't such an information whore, there would have been a lot of situations in the past that would have really gotten messy.

"Alright, about my brother," said Kai. Tyson rushed in from the kitchen, as far as rushing went for someone carrying a tray of hot liquids. Kai's bowl of ramen was boiled up and ready, and there were a series of glasses filled with hot chocolate for all of them. What a nice guy.

After they all got comfortable and Kai got at least two mouthfuls of ramen in his mouth, he got started. If he were to start a story, he had best start at the right beginning, and he knew just where to start.

_Nightmares... _ he thought. No, they were memories. And that was where he decided to begin.

When he was younger he'd gone to a therapist to deal with the nightmares and issues he used to have. Kai would always leave with more anger and confusion in his being than he had when he went in to begin his sessions.

The sessions were meant for his own good. At age twelve Kai never really had any real psychological issues, but there was a matter that needed attention. Back then there was a case about a hospital that was reported for conducting illegal and inhuman experiments on actual people. Kai had seen the horrors himself, though why he would was a mystery and a whole controversy for those desperately in the need to know.

Were you experimented on, the therapist would ask. No, no, _no!_ Kai hated the implications.

My grandfather is innocent! He didn't do anything wrong! he'd always cry. At one point the therapist did a session with an investigator in attendance, and that was when it all went south. Kai made the same outburst, the same defence he'd always mount for his grandfather. All it took was for that fucking investigator to open his goddamn mouth.

"If he did nothing wrong, then how do you explain _you_?"

The bastard knew too much and Kai's defence had fallen apart.

Yes, for the twelve years he was alive, no one told Kai he was a genetically altered human being. No, he was not going to deny his grandfather was always concerned about his physical well-being, which would be natural for a scientist hoping his prized experiment was to remain successful. And for the kicker: Kai started these sessions because he had many confusing thoughts and mixed emotions after finding out that he wasn't really a Hiwatari.

But nothing changed the fact that he was still a part of the family. So he was adopted, his face changed and genes altered to match his family's DNA—all precautions taken so he can take the place of the dead Kai Hiwatari, the child suffering from stillbirth due to the tangling of its umbilical cord. Kai was the ideal child to adopt: around the same size and weight as his siblings and the same blood type as Katsutoshi (he had to remind the others that they were identical, but not with their sister), he even had the same birthday, apparently. The specifics just made it easier for the change in his DNA, and it was fine for Kai. He had no family—he wasn't kidnapped or anything. The head of the orphanage Kai was registered under even testified against any claims of kidnapping. Kai had no biological parents alive, and with his DNA altered, finding any other member of his original family would be possible. It was justifiable to Kai: they just wanted their family complete! Still, his grandfather was tried and found guilty of human trafficking and illegal experimentation, as well as accounts of manslaughter and euthanasia. Voltaire Hiwatari now rotted away in prison for it, the appeal only managing to remove the death sentence, but retained the life imprisonment. After that Kai was allowed to stay with his family or move on to find a family of his own if he ever felt uncomfortable living with people who made him into a monster. He never thought that, of course, that was what everyone else was thinking.

"Remember how Katsutoshi said how we of the Hiwatari household are known for our stamina and strength?" Kai asked the others. He observed their reactions. So far everyone was pale in the face, except Ray, whose face was so red he looked like a kettle that was about to explode. Hilary held onto her mug for dear life. If she wasn't careful, she could crush it in her grip. Tyson's jaw just hung, and he looked like he wasn't breathing. Daichi and Max were both in a catatonic state. Max's eyebrow occasionally twitched. He was probably thinking up the reasons of why Voltaire would experiment on people.

"... yeah, I remember!" cried Tyson, waking up from his spell of shock. "He said that right before you kicked him. I'm surprised you didn't put him in traction."

"What, a freaking bullet in his ribs wasn't enough?" Kai found Tyson's comment slightly offensive. He shook his head, "_Anyway_, I wouldn't have been able to put him in traction with a kick like that! That's my whole point: we aren't normal, none of us are. The Hiwatari triplets..." He gave Ray that look, the look that said 'let it rip'.

"_The Hiwatari triplets were all a result of Voltaire Hiwatari's illegal genetic experimentation!_" He spurted in one breath. Kai gave him that nod that just let him loose, that he could keep going, "The investigation managed to uncover that Dr. Hiwatari's subjects were not just young children, but also his own grandchildren. As a part of the HNE—the Human Nano-enhancement Project—Dr. Hiwatari played genome tinkerer with his own grandchildren, fuelled by the man's claim to want to see his grandchildren to grow up without worrying about dying from a minor accident or sickness."

"It wasn't just a claim, it was fact," said Kai. "And unfortunately, that piece of information was the bomb that ruined my family indefinitely..."

They were wanted by the government now! Kai's father ran, taking Kai's sister with him. In light of that their mother did whatever she could to keep Katsutoshi and Kai safe. The conditions, the constant hiding and the fear; it took a toll on Kai. Daddy never came back, Mommy got really hurt, and the government wouldn't stop bullying them. The nightmares kept coming, and they kept getting worse because no one was there to make them go away. There were so many things Kai couldn't understand, and there were still things he wasn't able to solve even now at the age of 22. In the end, he ran away. All he wanted was his family, but the world wouldn't let him get what he wanted. He felt that, if he was gone, and if his sister was hidden away by their missing father, then the government would stop if they couldn't get all three of them. It was unfair. All Kai wanted was his family, but the world wouldn't let him get what he wanted.

Instead they had him end up at a traditional Japanese home inhabited by a good family: a loving couple with two sons and their nephew, and an energetic grandfather. At the age of 15 Kai moved in with the Kinomiya family.

"So Dad lied?" was the first thing Tyson could say. He and Daichi looked at each other, confused.

"Uncle said you were the son of a friend of his that recently died," said Daichi. "Do you think he knew the truth, Tyson?"

"I've been wondering for myself why he so gladly let me live with you guys," said Kai. "I can barely remember that time myself."

"He wasn't lying."

Everyone looked to the room's entrance and saw Hiro, dressed in his police uniform, standing there. Kai felt something drop in his stomach. He owed Hiro an explanation too. The guy was practically like an older brother.

"What do you mean, Bro?" asked Tyson.

"Dad wasn't lying. He knows Kai's father," said Hiro. He sounded serious, even shooting a glare at Kai. Could it be possible... that he knew? "And I can't believe you'd just leave your brother at the hospital! I know you're better than that, Kai. Did you not see that news broadcast of him being chased by people?"

Kai just blinked at Hiro's statement for a good minute, eating up the silence of the room.

"Yeah, I know," said Kai. "But I'm really tired." Hiro looked like him with complete and utter shock and disbelief. It was the most ridiculous expression on his face; an expression usually reserved for when Kai, Tyson and Daichi would tell him how their day at school was.

"But you can relax, I followed them home."

Hilary screamed, Ray jumped in shock, and Max almost threw his empty mug at Katsutoshi, who sat at the very window Kai made his entrance through the previous night.

"I hope you paid the hospital bill," said Kai, giving Katsutoshi a big grin.

"It was already paid for," responded Katsutoshi airily, waving his hand so as to disregard the matter. He was dressed in nothing but his hospital robe since Hilary took his clothes to clean (and inspect. Kai knew she'd inspect his clothes out of habit). He stepped through the window and stood behind Kai, casually stripping off his robe and the gauze that absorbed the blood from the wound... except there was no blood and the wound looked remarkably healed for a wound less than 24 hours out of a surgery.

"The HNE Project!" Ray exclaimed, the others only just able to gasp in their realization.

"Yep. God bless the Healing Factor," said Kai. He yawned and stretched, standing up and putting an arm around his half-naked (no, scratch that. Kai forgot Katsutoshi didn't have his own extra pair of underwear... poor Hilary) brother. "Good night, team. Don't bother waking me up!"

After the general shock of what had just happened died, Tyson offered Kai his old room, which was actually Daichi's before he moved in. There was a cabinet still filled with Kai clothes and he found a pile of clean unused underwear (Kai remembered: he thought he'd packed the new underwear, which he bought the day before Moving Day, but instead he found he packed his older pairs when he arrived at his apartment) in the drawer of the cabinet, throwing one pair at Katsutoshi, as well as a pair of pyjamas.

Hilary came in after a shy knock at the door, bringing in the futon for Katsutoshi. Kai thanked her, waiting until she left the room. As soon as the door shut Kai grabbed Katsutoshi on impulse, holding him in an embrace. He could barely fight back the tears.

"I'm sorry," he sobbed. Katsutoshi just patted his back, remaining calm.

"You've got a lot going on, so it's okay," said Katsutoshi. "The important thing is I'm fine, and that my body is used to fixing itself up a bit after something like that." Kai pushed Kastutoshi an arm's length way. Lifting up his shirt, Kai turned him around. He saw the scars: gashes, scars from bullet wounds, burns. What kind of life was Kastutoshi living up until now?

"I'm such an idiot!" Kai fell on the bed, burying his face into his hands. "I'm the one who suggested we split up after... after..." He felt Katsutoshi sit down on the bed, patting his head hard.

"Pull yourself together, bro," whispered Katsutoshi. "You're not being yourself. Neither am I, actually. We're just in shock, and after we wake up, everything will be okay again. Now skootch over; make room for Big Brother."

"Wait... you're not going to use your futon?"

"Oh please. Tyson said the nightmares are back. Now I know I'm no Ice Queen, but with Naien not being here I guess you're just going to have to deal with me, okay? Now lie down and close your eyes."

They slept through the following day, but Kai's sleep was restless. The nightmares would still come, but he'd go back to sleep, only to wake up and find Katsutoshi weary-eyed and ready to tell him that it was all just a dream.

This time he dreamt about men in black wanting to take them away, and Mommy's blood was all over the floor.

_"Run, just run!"_

And then he'd see the melting face and the icy blue eyes of the boy in the tube. Which reminded him...

Kai had to call Tala and tell him Katsutoshi was safe.

* * *

**When you pray for Japan, pray for the people, not the country.**


	5. Tala

**Disclaimer: The characters of Beyblade belong to Takao Aoki, with the English Dub names courtesy of Nelvana.**

**Chapter 3 wasn't an author note, for those of you who may have thought it was. It's important to the plot. This is a mystery: _everything_ has to do with the plot!**

* * *

The first thing Kai was greeted to in the morning was Ray, who burst into the kitchen as soon as he got in the house, with the same red-hot-kettle composure he had last night. Or any time. Really, he'd be a volcanic eruption of information when he was 'on to something'. The whole group had practiced signals via expressions just so they could warn Ray if he was about to say the right things at the wrong time, or vice-versa. Today, however, was one of those days where Ray had a completely free pass.

Kai was just not expecting to hear him talk about _that person_.

"She said that she's back in town and that she can't wait to see you again! If you don't mind, I told her about your brother—!"

"_Ray!_" Kai yelled. Oh dear _GOD_. The last thing he wanted was for _that person_ to get involved with his and Katsutoshi's problems!

"What's going on?" asked Katsutoshi, coming into the kitchen after a fresh shower. Kai shot Ray the 'talk and I'll _kill_ you' look, but apparently this news was so big he didn't even care.

"Oh, just telling Kai that an old friend of ours came back to town and wants to see him!" Ray chirped, wearing a big, stupid, grin that Kai _really wanted to rip off of his face!_

"An old friend?" Katsutoshi repeated.

"A _girl_ friend—"

"_She's not my girlfriend!_" yelled Kai. Katsutoshi laughed.

"_Jeez_, high-strung are ya? Don't sweat it, Ray," Katsutoshi stopped Ray from trying to counter Kai's protestation, "Kai don't got the balls to get a girl. He don't work that way." He stuck a tongue out at Kai. Annoying son of a... Kai stared at his piece of toast, all buttered up and ready to eat. Whatever, he'll get a donut from a coffee shop when he headed out for the day. He scooped it up and forcefully shoved it in Katsutoshi's mouth. _Choke on that, you bastard!_

"I'm heading out," he called back, hastily making an exit.

"Where're you going?" asked Ray. Kai took in the sweet sounds of his brother choking on the bread. Ah, revenge. Its melody was so sweet!

"Since Katsu will be living with me I need to accommodate and buy him his things."

"Tha-_hack_-that's not nece-_hyek-necessary_," started Katsutoshi.

"Shaddup, I'm buying your things for you," spat Kai. He left without looking back.

He wasn't lying; he really was going to buy all the necessities for Katsutoshi: tooth brush, towels, and a few clothes. It was a lot of money, and the costs really ate at his savings, but he needed to support for his brother now.

_I'm going to need to find a job_, Kai mumbled. It was the winter break right now; all the seasonal jobs were probably filled up. But he should start now. Better late than never, right? Maybe the university's student services can fix him up a job. Oh, but that would probably lead to a very limited range of jobs he could take, and the pay might not be as good as getting a part-time job elsewhere... What _would_ he want to do for a part-time job anyway? And _where_?

"Nice shades, but you're still obviously Kai Hiwatari," whispered a voice in his ear. Kai yelped, whipping around, flinging his arm in the direction of whoever whispered at him. How did he not notice someone standing right next to his ear? And this person _better_ have a good reason for sneaking up on him like tha—

"_Freaking_ Christ, Tala!" yelled Kai, ripping off his sunglasses and staring down at the guy he just knocked down. There, writhing in his gleeful fit, was the red-haired and icy blue-eyed specimen of the tube: Tala Ivanov. He was also Katsutoshi's best friend and top confidant when Kai or Naien wasn't around. When Kai and Katsutoshi split up and went on the lam, Tala went with Katsutoshi. Katsu was known for drawing a lot of attention on his own. Sure, Kai was the passionate one, but Daddy did say that if there was an element to associate with Katsutoshi, it was lightning. Rigid and hot-headed, anyone who disagreed with Katsutoshi would be subject to a brutal ass-kicking. It was hard keeping him out of trouble since he was the more sociable triplet out of the three. Naturally, since Daddy said Tala had Naien's ice affinity, he was the perfect one to keep Katsutoshi out of trouble.

"Ah, the suburban life has done you good," noted Tala, observing him.

"I can't say the same to you. Having fun being on the lam?" He laughed with Tala, but there was no denying to the curious eye that the rugged and dirtied outfit Tala wore made it obvious that he wasn't exactly living a normal life. It didn't help that he favoured the shade of white on his clothes over anything else.

"Coffee? My treat?"

"Oh yeah, that'd be—!" Kai's lungs suddenly seized, and he found himself bent over thanks to his coughing madness. These coughs had the worst and oddest timing, and he hated it when he tasted the blood in his mouth. Fortunately, it wasn't enough to make him puke a whole heck of a lot of blood. Besides, it only just recently started up. The last time these coughing fits did as they pleased his throat was so ravaged that he could feel the blood in his mouth even when he wasn't coughing.

"Should I change that to a water instead?" Tala had that concerned look on his face. "Damn, I thought you'd stabilized by now..."

"I did. I just don't know why I'm acting up again." Of course, when Tala says 'stabilize', he means for the organs of the human body to function normally, that nothing shuts down when it's not supposed to. It was a normal concern for someone like Tala, who knew all about the necessity for his body to stabilize. To Kai, it was no different, but it was really more with the nanos inside his body that changed his DNA and pushes his body to its prime agreeing with him. His grandfather was a genius with his work; neither Katsutoshi nor Naien had any issues. Kai was the only one who would suffer these coughing fits because, well, he wasn't originally a Hiwatari to begin with. The change was stronger within him, so it made sense.

They picked a mildly crowded cafe, one with large windows Tala could look through while being hidden by the many other customers inside. It was to be expected; life on the run led to a very paranoid lifestyle.

"Speaking of stabilizing," started Kai, in a low voice when the waitress came by to get their order. Kai just settled for some hot chocolate while Tala ordered a regular, "how're you doing with the climate changes? The summer treating you alright?"

"Nah, it's abusive, but thanks to your granddad's rush job before things got really messy I'm fine so long as I stay in a very cold room during a heat wave." He leaned back on his chair, arm slung over the back. He seemed so... _relaxed_. Well, it was winter, and while he got many looks for wearing spring wear in the wrong season, it was understandable for those in the know.

"How cold?" Kai asked, getting a feel for the answer without it having been told.

"Freezer cold," said Tala, smirking. Hah! Of course! Why waste money on blasting the AC at max in a room susceptible to heat when you could just sit in a freaking freezer until the heat wave blew over.

"Katsu's got a _lot_ of interesting stories to tell me," noted Kai, raising an amused eyebrow.

"So you'll be taking him off of my hands now?"

"Might as well. Things seemed to have calmed down a bit. Why don't you stick around too?"

"Are you kidding me? This is the complete opposite of what you've been pushing for since the beginning! If anything, I'd rather a more knit-tight communication over being stuck in the same room with you." Hm... that didn't seem like a bad idea.

"You have a cell phone then, I presume?" asked Kai.

"Like hell I do! Cell phones are like a homing beacon for the government!"

"I wonder, how did you find me? I was about to go to this person called the Network to get a hold of you." Those were Katsutoshi's instructions: find the Network, you find Tala and anyone else who went into hiding. Of course, someone like good ol' Dad and Naien would have gone into extreme hiding—Kai had no way of contacting them. It was usually his father who contacted him (that being said, he should make note to ask Hiro about how to contact his dad).

"Do you even _know_ where the Network is? Or at least, how to _find_ the Network?" Tala gave him an incredulous look. He probably thought Kai crazy for not thinking through this little plan. Well, why would Kai _not_ be prepared? The first thing he did was call Ray, and once Ray had something on the Network (it was hard to believe the guy knew _nothing_ nowadays), Kai was set.

"Fancy gold watch and expensive looking clothes," Kai raised up his right hand to show off the glint of the gold wristwatch, and rubbed the surface of his winter coat. "Then I just walk into an alleyway and wait for a guy to jump me from behind."

"Flawless, except, that plan could attract just about _anybody_," laughed Tala. Kai cocked his eyebrow at him, smiling devilishly. "Oh crap," Tala muttered, "You know something don't you?"

"Of course I do." He leaned in closely and gave Tala his hard-to-kill habit: the glare. It was the glare that persuaded any unwilling human being to do what he said, or they face the consequences. Worked magic in high school, and even in university he could use it to get his unwilling group members to get their asses started on a project. In more dire situations, like being present at a hold up at a convenience store before, Kai's glare was so effective the guy handed himself over to the cops. Kai remembered that experience very well: Hiro had treated him to a big dinner because the perp was a serial robber Hiro's team had been trying to catch for over a couple weeks. As for Tala? "Where is the Network?"

"Goddammit! How much did Katsu tell you?"

Not much, only that Kai had to lure the Network's boys out if he wanted a word with the man of mystery. Or woman. It was Ray who gave him the abundant info on the Network. The Network had a, uh, 'network' of people in hiding and he was the go-to guy to send information out to worried loved ones. Never was one message traced, and the Network helped everyone—good or bad. The only way of contacting the Network? Lure out his boys, as Katsu said, but the only way of knowing is if you used a specific string of words to get their attention. Asking directly was too suspicious, which was why it helped to know a person already connected to the Network. As for Tala? How else did Kai know the safety of his own brother throughout all these years? Why else even consider telling the man from the tube that Katsutoshi was safe and sound, and with family? Every report would be detailed, and Kai deduced that Tala would keep an eye on Katsutoshi from a safe distance, to keep himself hidden, and to overlook any oncoming dangers that Katsu _really_ needed to know about. It was so obvious what Kai had to do that it was easy. If Katsutoshi was in town, so was Tala, and if he wanted to talk to Tala all he had to do was walk out in the open alone and wait for the guy to come to him first. And _then_ he could find out about where this Network fellow was.

"Damn, you're too good," said Tala, defeated. Right at the end of Kai's explanation the waitress came by with their orders. The smell and warmth of the hot chocolate was enticing, but Kai didn't feel like drinking it now. Tala seemed to feel the same about his coffee. "You should be a detective or something."

"Seriously considering it in my studies. Taking courses in criminology and everything." Kai took a whiff of his hot chocolate. It seemed safe... "But anyway, back to the question at hand: the Network. Where and how?"

"I can't tell you where, but I can tell you how. There are drop off points where the Network's boys go to pick up messages. I can only tell you one. Here, I'll write it down. And once you've got the location memorized, burn this thing. And I mean _burn_ it. Don't put out the fire until it turns to ash." The waitress walked by again to talk to the people a table away from them. A slip of folded paper fell off from her serving tray, which she did not notice, but Tala caught it before it fell to the floor. He pulled out a lighter and lit the paper after he unfolded it, demonstrating to Kai just how burnt up the paper with the location should be.

"Sir, yes, sir." Kai took the paper and shoved it down his underwear. Hey, he wasn't going to lose it that way, and it wasn't going to fall into the wrong hands unless he had sex with a woman working for his enemies. Tala didn't patronize his choice of hiding place. He picked up his coffee and drank it all in one swig.

"Ah, that feels good," said Tala. He had that pained look in his eyes; to Kai it implied that Tala was pushing it with hot beverages. Maybe he was trying to get his throat used to drinking hot liquids? And it was one way of maintaining warmth. "Drink up, yours is safe too."

"How do you know?" Kai watched him blow away the pile of ashes that the fire left behind. Some people gave them weary looks, worried that Tala might be a pyromaniac (_hah!_ Tala, a _pyro_? The guy would consider that the worst way to die! It was suicide! Suicide!) Suddenly, it dawned on him...

He didn't say it, but took note of the cafe's name. He took the paper out of his underwear, careful to keep his back on anyone who might be looking. The paper had the store's location and name on it too... Sneaky Tala. Kai drank up his hot chocolate, forcing it all down as fast as he can, and once he was done he dropped the paper inside. He grabbed Tala's lighter and burnt the paper, knowing that the ceramic mug wouldn't catch fire as easily as the table, which now had burn marks on it. He pulled out his wallet, despite Tala's claim to pay for the drinks.

"Nope, don't bother," Tala said, stopping him. "It's on the house." He nodded to the waitress, and with that, he left. Kai breathed deeply and slowly, his lungs feeling the urge to send him through another fit of coughs. It was good seeing Tala again, safe and sound.

Now, next on his list: shopping. Damn, he should have asked Katsutoshi for his sizes, but Kai figured he could just make guess work out of it. Might as well, they practically had the same body size, if only that Katsutoshi was slightly taller than him. Kai pondered on which store to go to, wondering what his brother was up to right now. Wondering, thinking, pondering. He never realized how much was on his mind up until that point, and a busy mind kept him calm and happy.

Yet maybe Kai had too much on his mind as he failed to realize that someone had been following him for the rest of the day.

* * *

**The ending was a little different than I expected. Ah well, the other idea will come later.**

**When you pray for Japan, pray for the people, not the country.**


End file.
